The Clubhouse: Where Technology Meets Imagination is a free out-of-school learning program where young people (ages 10â€"18) from underserved communities work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop new skills, and build confidence in themselves through the use of technology. Founded as the "Computer Clubhouse" in 1993, The Clubhouse is the brainchild of Mitchel Resnick and Natalie Rusk of the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Stina Cooke of The Boston Computer Museum, now part of the Museum of Science, Boston.
Fueled by an investment of over $50 million by Intel from 2000-2015, The Clubhouse Network: A Global Community For Creativity & Achievement supports 100 community-based Clubhouses in 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, India, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Palestine, Panama, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, South Africa, and the United States. Headquartered at the Museum of Science, Boston, The Clubhouse Network provides 25,000 youth per year with access to resources, skills, and experiences to help them succeed in their careers, contribute to their communities, and lead outstanding lives.
Winner of the Peter F. Drucker Award for Non-Profit Innovation, The Clubhouse inspires youth to think about themselves as competent, creative, and critical learners. The Clubhouse Network makes an important contribution not just in local urban communities but also as a model for after-school learning environments globally. Since 2012, Best Buy has partnered with The Clubhouse Network to open multiple sites throughout the U.S., operating under the name "Best Buy Teen Tech Centers." In 2016, The Clubhouse partnered with the MIT Media Lab and Maker Media to publish Start Making! A Guide To Engaging Young People in Maker Activities.
Clubhouses have been the proving ground for a number of projects of the MIT Media Lab's "Lifelong Kindergarten" research group. Notable examples include:
- Scratch, a 21st-century multimedia programming language for young people.
- Lego Mindstorms programmable bricks, a late 20th-century robotic construction toy.
- The Clubhouse Village, an online project-based, youth-led learning community that connects members and mentors at every Clubhouse around the world, allowing for communication and collaboration.
- PICO programmable Crickets, early 21st-century programmable toys for art construction projects
References
External links
- The Clubhouse Network
- Press Coverage
- The Clubhouse Village
- Global RE@CH Media Festival
